Got Rope?

I've had this 30-year old anchor rode hanging in a tree for 15 years, serving a second life as a Tarzan swing. I've got a Kevlar genoa sheet with a shattered core, no longer trust worthy for anything critical.

The rope ladder was a simple project. I've wanted something that was compact, couldn't harm gelcoat, and could be used climbing in or out of the tender. This took about 20 minutes and about 30 feet of line (2x the length + 3' for each rung). A fun night-before Christmas project, complete across my lap, with a glass of hot tea at my elbow, while watching The Polar Express with the family.

The door mat required 100 feet of 1/2 inch line and about 2 1/2 hours to complete. The knot in the middle is rather a lump underfoot, but it looks very traditional. The wrap and sewing took the real time. I soaked it with the borax/washing soda/baking soda anti-mildew blend when finished. My mom thought it a charming gift; since we had enjoyed it on the boat and in the backyard for many years in previous incarnations, it has history with her children and grandchildren.

And 2 lumps of old rope were thus consumed. Good.

Via Ferrata Tethers--Some Good Ideas, But Not for Sailing

Via ferrata trails, literally iron ways in Italian, are climbing trails equipped with rungs and safety wires that allow fit but unskilled personnel to move quickly and safely over difficult terrain. Though they date back into the 19th century, they are best know from their use during World War I, moving troops through the mountains.  Since then they have expanded to thousands of tourist routes in Europe and the United States. Since tether technology is the focus of this post, I'll leave history research to the reader; the internet is great for that.

The climber is protected falling all the way by a pair of tethers that follow a safety wire to the side of the rungs. Periodically, the wire is fixed to the face, and this is the challenge; these points are generally  10-20 feet apart, allowing for  serious falls before the tether takes, and requiring the tether to absorb a great amount of energy, more than a dynamic rope alone can handle. Dynamic ropes are rated for a fall factor of 1.8, whereas a via ferrata fall can be fall factor 5 or more.

The solution is a more extensive energy absorption system, including either friction through an aluminum plate or a tear-type energy absorber, like a Screamer.

Why wouldn't these make useful sailing tethers?

• The allowable impact force is much greater, since the load is taken on a seat harness rather than a chest harness; the human tail can take a lot more force than the ribs. Sailors need a softer catch.
• The falls are really much greater. A sailor will never see an impact beyond fall factor 1; the ISO drop testing required by the ISAF rules is based on a FF1 with a 100Kg mass.
• The end clips on via ferrata tethers are applicable and gaining popularity. The West Marine tethers are now Kong Tango via ferrata biners (pictured on tethers to right), and I like them very much. Fast on and off, one-handed even when cold and wet, locking, light, and fit over most handrails too. Because they are aluminum, they do require periodic lube and rinse. Mine have held up very well, like new after 2 seasons.
• Harness attachment. Sailors like a quick release on the tether, something that can be removed under load. Climbers opt for a locking biner, since no possibility of accidental release is acceptable. Most often the tether is cow-hitched to the harness.
• Length. Sailors like dual lengths (2-3 feet and 4-8 feet) while climbers are restricted to 2 matching arm's length tethers; they never want the clip to move out of reach (if it snags below you this is a real drag).

Certainly there are some ideas here, some worth adapting, but the application is different.

-------

Note on recalls. Because of the extreme nature of the falls and untrained nature of many users, there is some history of failures, most often fatal. In general, the causes have been:

• Fall too great. Anything of 10 feet is trouble and over 15 feet is beyond the equipment rating. The via  ferrata trails generally recognize this, placing tie points ever 10-15 feet, but risk is often part of  climbing; if it looks too scary, go down.
• Worn friction rope. Some designs rely on a rope slipping through a plate with many holes. If the rope wears through use--tour groups use them daily--the rope slides more easily and insufficient energy is absorbed. This type has gone out of production because they are too difficult to inspect.
• Poor or worn stitching, or any other construction fault, though this type of failure can result from too long a fall.

ALL via ferrata falls are bad, far more dangerous than falls on a climbing rope. They feel safer but are not. The impact forces are high and there is much to hit on the way down.

Fids

When we need something, we run to the corner store store, or worse, the mall. When we some thing for the boat, we run to the chandlery, West Marine most probably. What we need is on the shelf. Seldom do we give a thought to making simple tools, though isn't that capability what made us human? Back in the day, for a workman to make his own personal tools was central to the craft. What sailmaker bought his fids from a store? Seam rubbers and wooden fids were crafted as needed, to the individual taste and hand of the worker. Some made fids with a handle or a turk's head worked in a turned grove; this probably worked best for large course hemp lines, but on a small boat with synthetic line, needs have changed. Even my wooden fids are smooth, so that they can pass through one line, towing another. The point is they were made by me to work best for me.

My finishing bench is of my own creation, fits nicely next to my favorite chair, always holding what I need near at hand (I have another sewing kit on the boat). It is a bit smaller than old-time benches, better suiting the size of my projects.

My wooden fids were turned from scrap hardwood dowel in a drill press (I have a lathe, but the drill press is handier for this) and have been worn smooth. There is a hole in the butt to accept a towed line, when that is required.They took perhaps 15 minutes to make, and I enjoyed the process.

My hollow fids are discarded knitting needles. Ask your wife or daughter--I'm they have a few mismatched needles about--or go to a thrift store. Cut to length, smooth the outside edge with a file or sandpaper, and clean the inside edge with a hand held drill bit. I seriously doubt the commercial hollow fids were purpose built, as the volumes are far too low--they are re-puposed knitting needle blanks, I'm sure of it.

Tangier Island Seeking More Cats--Who Would have Thought

When we first visited Tangier, we were greeted at the Park's Marina by about 50 cats, all fed by the owner. At some point, someone had a problem with this state of affairs, and the town’s leaders brought in a SWAT team of veterinarians to spay and neuter their increasingly out-of-control cat militia. Unfortunately, they hadn't done all of the math.


Now the otters have the upper hand, stealing soft crabs so conveniently placed in shedding tanks, available nightly under convinient work lighting.

Some of the waterman have gone back to keeping cats on their shedding platforms. Though a cat is no match for an otter, a group of cats is sufficient deterrent.

I suspect we'll see more cats during our next visit.

Read the full text here.

 

Heater Efficiency

Marine space heaters are not typically rated for efficiency by any approved method, and Internet folks are forever commenting on what is efficient or not efficient, without any engineering basis or understanding of the math. But it isn't complicated and engineers have long known you can calculate everything you know from the stack conditions. After all, what goes up the stack didn't go into the room.

I described my heater installation and early experiences, but I only estimated the efficiency without rigorous measurement. Time to fix that.

Stack Temperature. Obviously, cooler is better. Since the stack temperature on my Dickson P9000 is 185F on a cold day (40F), that gives me a starting point efficiency of 88.5%. However, since the Dickson unit preheats the combustion air with flue gas, this gives a 4% increase to 92.5%. So little, you say? In effect, I'm simply moving the exhaust temperature 200F. It is worth doing simply to keep the hull fitting cooler and to reduce burn potential on-deck. More importantly, while dropping the temperature of the exhaust 200F is not a big deal in terms of efficiency, it means the P9000 exhaust can't damage a nylon rope. That is a big deal.

Excess Oxygen. However, the easiest way to get a cool stack is plenty of excess oxygen. A few percent is desirable, but the rest is energy wasted heating air. I get a reading of 5% on the Dickson heater, and that costs me 2% on heater efficiency; down to 90.5%.

Ambient Temperature. It is also necessary to do a correction for ambient temperature, compared to the base temperature used int he first graph (70F). Colder inlet give the impression of higher efficiency. By observing performance at 40F vs. 70F I gave myself some false credit. Subtract 1%. Down to 89.5%.

Overall Efficiency. Just start at the top and add them up. 88.5% + 4%(preheat) - 2% (excess O2) - 1% (testing temp correction) = 89.5% thermal efficiency.

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) Rating. This rating, found on every home furnace, is a bit different, as it includes losses up the stack when the unit is not firing; for example, fire places can be great heat wasters since warm air goes up the stack even when not in use. However, all of this is irrelevant to a simple marine heater such as the Dickon P9000 (it runs steadily without cycling--it can be turned down), I have not considered it. However, for the purposes of comparison, the AFUE is generally about 15% lower than the thermal efficiency. However, since the Dickson is sealed (all combustion air comes from outside) only a minimal 5% penalty is applied. Electric heat is assigned no penalty, so I am being conservative. 84.5% estimated AFUE.

Bottom Line. So how does this "stack-up?"  This little marine furnace rates as mid-efficiency. Not too bad for something the size of a toaster and much better than more primitive predecessors.

Singlehanded Kayak Loading--Onto the Car with a Bad Back...

... or if you short, or even exhausted after miles of paddling.

This is so obvious it should be in the owners manual. They should use it as a sales pitch. But it didn't occur to me until after returning from a trip with our stuff piled in the driveway, that most kayak wheels look kind of like a bike rack with wheels instead of arms. They have the same padding and the same angle, and at least one strap for securing wheels to the boat.

1. Secure the existing strap to the roof rack with the padded arms straddling the break in the roof line.
2. Secure a second line to the bottom of the hatch to hold it down. I had to add this one, a few minutes work.
3. Roll it up and then flip it over to better secure.

Yes, this can be done simply with a blanket or large towel, but by the time you secure the towel that takes time. Fail to secure the towel and you'll lose paint for certain. The heavier the boat and the higher the roof, the better the wheels work.

 While I don't have any trouble simply lifting kayaks onto my Forrester (pictured), the wheels are a BIG help when loading onto a high SUV or van, which is nearly impossible for a 5'8" guy; I simply run out of height by the time I reach over the rack.

Marking Furler Line

I had always marked one spot on the furler line; the 100% setting, which I used when reefed. However, adding the inside genoa track prompted me to refine the system.

• Wide band: 110%, just short of touching the shrouds and spreaders. While it is possible to run a full genoa between the shroud and the spreaders, it risks sail damage and is more trouble than it is worth.
• Medium band: 90% Just short of lapping. A nice setting if single or double reefed, going to weather.
• Narrow band: 70%. Small, only 25 % of full area. Good for double reefed and blowing like stink.

To insure the whippings are tight and can pass the jammer smoothly, they should be smaller than the line. This is easily accomplish by holding the line stretched between 2 winches while whipping.

 
Yes, you can always adjust as you go, but rolling sail in a breeze isn't good for you or the sail. Advancing the furler line to the correct setting before unfurling is MUCH easier.

Fog

Amsteel... or Not?

Some folks are so stuck on Amsteel that they probably use it for shoe laces (I've seen soft shackle key rings). Others treated as some new fangled nuisance, like polyester sail cloth, that will soon go away. I've been using soft shackles on my genoa sheets for a little while now and I like them. Are there other applications I should consider?

In use

Genoa Sheet attachments. Why? I recently add an inner track which requires changing sheets occasionally (there are 2 sets now). I didn't trust snap shackles on a flogging sail, couldn't justify the expense of  J-locks, didn't fancy getting whacked on the head or having the mast pummeled. I could have used stropes tied from polyester line (I did use these for a time), but the strength is close and there is a slightly greater chance of opening (they never did). The hollow braid and slipperiness of Amsteel permits some unique splicing options.

Genoa sheets. I recently installed some line that was donated to me (testing left overs). Turns out it was 1/2-inch Warpspeed (21,000 pounds BS, $5.67/foot). Stiff as hell but good in this application, should last a very long time. Nice hard on the wind, where stretch means the sail gets full when a gust hits, which is when you want it flat. But I would not have spent $300 for it! I didn't realize it wasn't Staset until I saw how it handled and looked more closely at the core.

When something wears out

Lifelines. Certainly, in a few more years. I will go 1/4-inch with 9/16-inch webbing on the wear spots, which even with UV should be good for 10 years. Easy to do, nice hand, and light.

Jib halyard. My jib halyard has one tight spot where it passes through the masthead. I think the smaller size will resolve the pinch. I will have to splice to something larger for the jammer.

Spin head attachment. If it breaks. Not likely. Or if I need it elsewhere (more likely).

Spin tack. The metal shackle snags and scrapes on the forward lifeline. This will be converted to a soft shackle soon, certainly before the lifelines are changed.

Bridle to chain. If I lose the Mantus hook I'm testing, Amsteel as either a loop or a soft shackle will be next. Easier than the plate I was using. Honestly, for me a sling and carabiner work very well.

Main Halyard. Lower stretch would be nice, but that will be some years.

Topping lift. Light, don't often adjust.

Bad applications (to me)

Spin sheet attachments. Snap shackles are faster.

Main halyard. I prefer a knot. Easy to trim a few feet every few years, to move wear spots.

Jib halyard. Only pin shackles fit furler.

General block attachment. I would be open to this, but in any cases there are sharp edges. Pin shackles generally last forever.

Lashings. Generally nylon or polyester are strong enough when passed many times. Amsteel knots poorly, giving no increase in security over a good lashing.

Main sheet. I want some stretch during jibes; a high mod line increases the stress on the traveler bearings. I wish my traveler was not Spectra and I will change it if I find something cheap.

Jib sheets. Good application, but not cost effective for this boat. I have polyester for my reaching sheets, which is fine, and Warpspeed for the windward sheets which is perfect for that.

Spin sheets. Again, I like some give.

Tying things on deck. Poor knotting, simply don't need the strength.

Anchor bridle. You need the stretch of nylon with chain. But if you are using all-nylon rode, Dyneema may be just the thing to limit yawing; I've tested it, it works.

Jacklines. It depends. On smaller boats the stretch of polyester reduces forces. On larger boats, Dyneema is perfect.

-----------

And so it seems to be limited in application. Neat stuff, though.

Sucking Bottom

I never thought of my PDQ as a freighter, but they have a few things in common. I keep expecting--hoping--her to behave like a beach cat, but she's not.

Something we all keep any eye on, at least occationally, is maximum speed under power. It 's an indicator of whether the engine is tuned well and the bottom is clean. If she reaches top speed, we know those things are fine.

Yesterday as I was motoring back in I pushed the throttle wide open and she went... 6.5 knots. I've been seeing 7.4-7.5 knots since I extended the transoms, so something had to be amiss. I looked over the stern at the transoms; they were 6 inches under water unde conditions that should have them just above! Am I taking on water?

And then it occurred to me that I was sprinting across 4.5 feet of water and the hull was feeling the bottom, both in terms of excessive stern wave and reduced pressure under the deepest part of the hull. In fact, I was much closer to the bottom than my nominal 3.5 feet of draft would suggest. I suppose I might have touched, though I didn't feel it. Perhaps sprinting across shallows is not so smart.

As soon as I moved into the channel--8 feet--the speed jumped to 7.5 knots and the transoms came up. I think that's fooled me a few times over the years, wondering what I'm dragging.

------------

Pilots bring freighters into port often reduce speed in shallow areas to avoid what is called squat. It is more than simple caution and is calculated before entry.

The Poisoned Pen

In every town there is one critic that with a reputation for ruthlessness, possessed of an acid pen that can find nothing good in the world of the arts. New careers are gleefully smashed and that critic feels a quickening each time some new talent cries out.

My first career was in small business, and though I have worked for giants, I've had a few toy ventures on the side. We all want some success that is "us." I have a sensitivity for small businesses, and most marine products vendors and manufacturers are, in the scheme of things, tiny.

A few days ago I submitted an article to my editor; the closing sentence of the e-mail stated that "so-and-so is not going to be happy with me." I had bashed his product a bit. I didn't say it was bad. I explained that my test was in fact, a bit severe... but that other products had passed. I explained the product did no harm. But in spite of the fact that this man and his customers believe the sun rises and sets on his product, I could find nothing significant to recommend it. So I didn't. And my editor told me not to worry about it.

We have four choices when grading a product, and a product can be more than one of these.

• Best Choice
• Budget Buy, reserved for products that are cheap and work
  
• No comment given
• Not Recommended, reserved for products with serious flaws

Awarding Best Choice and Best Buy is always pleasant, particularly when a product surprises you with great value. I can think of some fuel additives, vent filters, holding tank treatments, sanitation hoses--the list is long--where awarding top rating was a pleasure. They were impressive product, doing more than I expected. There are always some products in the middle of the pack that are still a good value that just don't merit a recommendation. Sometimes I feel bad about that. I hope they take it as a suggestion that they look more closely at their competition and improve. We all need to strive.

But I never enjoy awarding Not Recommended, not even when the product has manifest flaws. Did I miss some virtue? Why would anyone bother to bring something useless to market? Unfortunately chandlery's shelves are filled with products that simply don't work. Cleaners that don't or that are over priced for what they do. Fuel additives that make corrosion worse. Mildew treatments that don't work as well as common chemistry. Things that are cheaply made, not worth carrying home. I wish that the West Marines and Defenders of the world would help by kicking some of the junk to the curb, but they sell whatever people will buy, though they must know that some of the fender-holders and clothes pins and fuel additives are complete rubbish. When I give a Not Recommended rating, I really mean it.

I hate that in addition to boosting up the innovators, I must shine a bright light on non-performers that so often tell a convincing story. Some take their lumps with quiet dignity. Some have told me that their products "can't be tested in the laboratory" or even simply that it "can't be tested." But they have testimonials a plenty, they say. Never mind other passed the tests. Often the biggest names cry the loudest assuming we are a group of non-technical tinkerers, surprised when we can back-up our findings with a better understanding of the engineering and chemistry behind their product than they have; a bunch of babies, they should test their stuff better and not rely on a big name. And of course, some of the big names are good.

And even when I make recommendations that I am completely sure of, there can be distortions. 

• A "great review by so-and-so," proclaims the add. Only I didn't review that product.
• A "rave review," only that review was for a different product, not everything they make.

 Sometimes I'm told the writing is dry, lacking enough opinion and personal judgment. Can you not understand why? Science needs to be dry, even when it cries out for opinion and theorizing.

So I moderate my poisoned pen, while I still call em' as I see em'.

_________

I really wish I could have given concrete examples. But not in this context.

Not every product that claims a "great review by so-and-so" is telling the truth; sometimes that review was for only one product they make, while the others are useless.

PDQ 32/34 tacks through less than 90 degrees--Or Sheeting Angles Part II

Rev. 11-16-2013

Ever since I stretch the hulls from 32' to 34' I guess I've been on a performance quest. I'm not a racer but I do like sailing efficiently and I like doing it by proper tuning, not hurling money at the problem. No Kevlar sails, tapered sheets or high-tech halyards.

In Sheeting Angles and Keels I proposed that by moving the genoa track inboard to a better sheeting angle I could get the boat to tack through about 92 degrees over ground vs 120-128 degrees with outboard leads   and see a 21% improvement in VMG. Great expectations. And that is exactly how it turned out.

Tacks through 85-90 degrees full-and-by.

VMG up 20-25%

Yup, I gave up a little boat speed, but now she points the right way and is much easier to steer to windward, not so twitchy on the edge of shaking sails and irons. With the inside lead position there is a MUCH wider bucket of acceptable VMG, from 45AW to 55AW; even 60AW is a little faster with the new lead position, since it is full sail instead of near luffing. I'm sure there are many times when higher pointing will mean fewer or no tacks, and that increases the gain further. It is helpful that the PDQ 32 actually has slightly greater draft and keel area to sail ratio than the PDQ 36. It is also similar to the sheeting on the Stiletto27 and 30, also beach cat rigged boats. Anyway, it works and this should have been the factory layout with a few tweaks. Much faster and better balanced than the self tacking jib.

Note that the outside sheet is still attached but slack; I will be putting a soft shackle on this to make it removable. I like the low-profile Garhauer snatch blocks; a great value and a lot of strength in a small package. I switched to low lead cars later; snatch blocks are too high and cause winch overrides.

A bunch of notes for those who might want to try this. First, the basics:

Do other things to make the boat fast. Anything that makes the boat move better will reduce leeway by increasing flow over the foils. 

• Clean bottom
• Watch the weight
• Watch the windage

 Outhaul. Many cruisers set-and -forget, but this is wrong. A full main gives more power reaching, but a flat lower main is mandatory for pointing high. With a full lower main...

• The jib will back wind the main and the slot is closed.
• The mainsail leach will hook to windward (slow) when the boom is properly located near amidships (the traveler will be about 6-12" above the center line when beating, depending on the wind).

The outhaul is typically adjusted with the winch on the mast. If you have a main with an attached main (factory) you REALLY have to crank up the tension to get it flat; you're stretching cloth. With a loose foot it is easier, but the result is the same. IF you are going to set-and-forget, leave it flat. With the reefing points, make certain the foot is pulled flat with each reef; there is no good reason for a full reefed sail; you are trying to de-power and reduce drag. There is a too-small cleat on the boom for the outhaul and it is tricky (lead the line under the cleat) to cleat the line without loosing tension; I may add a jammer to the boom; I'll see how the new sail fits in a month.

Lead location. The fore-aft location is critical. There must be some provision for twist; the upper genoa leach must be able to open. If the existing location is proper, the new location will be a few inches aft. I used a 2-foot track, but in retrospect I should have used a longer track in case I get a new genoa with a different geometry. Monohulls will often use an extreme forward position reaching to limit twist when the sheet is eased, but this is seldom done on multihulls; if you take the trouble to adjust for reaching on a multihull you use your beam and move the sheeting point forward AND to the rail, nearer the midships cleat for the PDQ 32. Monohulls don't have the beam to do this, unless they use a wisker pole, which will probably drag in the water and break if reaching in  breeze.

Sheeting. There are several option with an inside tack and I have played with them all. The best choice depends on what sort of sailing you are doing.

• Use a 15-foot utility line as the inside sheet. Grind the sheet in with the outer sheet, hook on the utility line, release the outside sheet and grind the inside sheet. In fact, the 15-foot line can be left attached and allowed to flop through the tack; it's too small to matter. This is what you see in the picture above.
• Use a spinnaker sheet. Again, it is used as a utility sheet, released for tacking. Or the outside sheet can be removed and the spinnakar sheet becomes the working sheet and tacking becomes normal. I'm going to try this, attaching the outside sheets with Amsteel soft shackles. One down side is the sheets are one size too small for this duty and there is one more turning block.
• Dedicated inside sheet. At first I thought that would be too much mess, but today I tried a removable inside sheet (attached with strope) that was rigged continuous, like a beach cat; this shortens the line and makes for quicker tacking. Definitely a good plan for a boat that does not have a spinnaker; there is no need to install the outside track, particularly if a 120% genoa is selected.
• Note that on starboard tack the mainsheet must be on the forward winch and that grinding is hindered; you cannot turn the handle more than 120 degrees. However, if the main is already mostly in, a rocking motion works fine for trimming. If your genoa sheets more forward the track will be further forward and the problem goes away. 

Update: I've gone to using a complete separate set of sheets, detaching the set I'm not using. This is much handier when beating to windward, which is practical with the new found pointing ability. I have also chosen to rig them as continuous, as seen on beach cats. This combination seems practical for single handing in breezy fall conditions, though it does seem to leave more rope in the cockpit. While there is more of it, however, it is easier to manage since it doesn't tangle (no ends to make knots) and can be reached from one spot for either coiling or tacking.

Furling. While it is possible to sheet a 150% genoa inside the shrouds, it is really simpler with a 120% genoa (one that ends at the shrouds). Sheets hang-up less too. Alternatively, you can do as I did during this test and furl the 150% genoa slightly. To save trial and error, it is a handy practice to mark the furling line with a thread whipping at 40%, 80%, and 120% (different colors or different number of stripes).

Tighter sheeting angles. The sheeting angle is now ~ 16 degrees vs. the 10-12 degrees found on some monohulls. While tighter angle swill work on a boat wit low windage and a deep keel, that would be a mistake on a cat with high windage, shallow keels, and better footing speed potential. Even my Stiletto with a deep board would often go up wind better (rough conditions) when I hauled the lead out to about 16 degrees. The inside positions were only for smooth water.

This has been greatest performance enhancement for the dollar I have found for the PDQ. If you have a genoa, this is a no-brainer. With Gauhauer parts it was ~ $280.

----------

(although this is not the gear I used, it is what I should have used and what I ended up with.)

• Garhauer 1 1/4-inch track, 2 feet long.
• Garhauer low lead block LLC-2. (I started with Garhauer 30 SN snatch blocks on cars and got horrendous over rides.)
• Backing plate (under the ceiling; I threaded 1" x 1/4" aluminum strip I had, but other things will work.)

This is a Garhauer LLC-3 on 1 1/4" track, but the LLC-2 would be better.

And don't forget to drill/remove core/epoxy/re-drill/butyl the track mounting holes.

----------

I need to build a new speed polar. I'm working on it.

Falling From the Masthead: a Catalog of Methods

Many sailors are justifiably terrified of climbing the mast. Given that most have no background in climbing and roped access, they're smart. Some do have experience, take a small short cut--perhaps something they've done many times, and reason to be safe--and get the chop.

A list of ways to make the Darwin Awards:

____________________

Fell out of sling, 9-meter mast, Ontario.  Hit the deck and lived. Instead of using a harness he made a simple sling with some webbing.

• Obviously, a proper UIAA climbing harness or harness + bosuns chair is needed.

Crewman fell to death while working aloft on the Appledore. (wooden schooner). The victim had been hoisted by a winch in a boson's chair, but he had unweighted the halyard by climbing in the rigging. When he fell, the belayer had failed to keep slack out of the line, was caught by surprise, and the turns jumped off the winch. The belayer was not wearing gloves and was unable to control the fall.

• Belayers must pay attention.
• Slack must be kept out of the line.
• Belayers should strongly consider wearing gloves.
• Belayer training was not adequate.
• A secondary belay should be used. This is required by OSHA; given the potential for failure of rigging demonstrated in this and other examples, the precaution is warranted. The rigging is not designed for climbing (a climbing belay devise would not suffer this failure type) and is often not inspected prior to climbing.

A plastic mast head sheave crumbled and when the halyard dropped it was cut just enough to allow it to part under the shock load. Since he was not using a second halyard, he fell from the spreaders to the deck, destroying his sailors right leg and requiring years of PT, a new artificial knee, and multiple bits of titanium. "The scars on his calf looked like shark bite after the bone ripped his leg apart and from multiple surgeries. For years, that's what he told people; a shark bite." An experienced sailor.

• Good practice and boson chair manuals always require 2 halyards. They often recommend internal halyards, because they seem more failure resistant (no swivel), but they are not failure-proof.

 


Attaching chair by incorrect fittings. Worker clipped the rope to an inspection ring (sort of like a key ring) rather than the structural tie-in point. Dead.

• There were instructions, but he did not heed them. Read all of the instructions.

Attaching harness by incorrect fittings. Climber attached rope to elastic strap intended only for retaining belt tail. Also climber attached to anchor by accessory loops of harness. Both resulted in product recalls that involved removing harness accessories, because people were dumb enough to tie to them, in spite of warning labels. Read the warning labels. Several injured, one dead.

• Read all of the instructions. 

Fell out of harness (harness still on rope). Several cases, two causes: did not double webbing back through buckle; did not have waist loop tight over smallest portion of waist and inverted.

• Read the manual and ALL instruction tags. There can be design differences.
• Harness or bosun's chair MUST fit correctly. All buckles must have adequate length, including spare length as required in instructions. Waist loop MUST be secured to the smallest part of the waist such that harness cannot be forced down under any amount of pressure; if the climber does not have a waist, they cannot climb.

Rope jammed, could not lower. In a more comical than serious incident, a man British sailor spent three and a half hours in the rain waiting for the fire brigade to work out a way to get him down when his pulley system jammed while he was at the top of his 13 metre mast. The existence of a nearby 10 metre lock allowed the fire fighters to sink the yacht, then topple the boat slightly with a rope and place a ladder against the mast to retrieve the embarrassed sailor. Quoted local Avon firefighter - 'I have never had a rescue like this before!' (should have been able to rig alternate). Boat was seriously damaged.

• Have a rescue/lowering plan. He could have been seriously injured from circulation restriction in his legs. He was very lucky. He should have been trained in how to lower himself. There should have been a second halyard.

 Belay error. The sailor ascended to the top to do some work, climbing off line tension. For some reasons the original belayer was relieve by another. Finished, the sailor leaned back on the rope. Unfortunately, there had been a miscommunication, and the belayer was holding the wrong rope. The climber hit the deck from 50 feet, surviving, but breaking most of the bones on one side.

• Test your weight before lowering.
• Don't casually switch belayers.

Clipped to Spinnaker Shackle.
"30 years ago I had one on the spinnaker halyard of my half tonner (30'). I needed to go to the masthead to work on the instruments. I hitched it to my bosun's chair and asked a pal to haul me up. He, being wiser said "Don't go up on that unless you have taped it closed." We had no tape handy and I thought he was a buffoon anyway and said as much.

He hauled and I climbed. Then I began work. After about ten minutes, and feeling very confident, I kicked myself out and round the mast to get to the other side. Suddenly I was in free fall. Instantly I clutched on to the mast like a koala bear. It only slowed my descent as I watched the shrouds begin sawing through the tendons of my wrists. They were getting wider apart as I descended so were cutting deeper with every foot I slid. I had to decide whether to let go to save my wrists or to hang on even tighter in the hope that I could stop my fall before my wrists cut through and I would let go anyway. I hung on - and eventually stopped falling.

Feeling certain that my buffoon pal had not cleated the line off properly on the winch I hollered "Nigel put that line on the winch properly this time." There was no answer until I saw him a good 100 yards away out of earshot. Then I looked down and the rope was still properly on the winch. Then I looked above my head and saw the snap shackle - open.

Still wearing the bosun's chair heavily laden with tools in a bucket hung on and with a very slim mast section, I simply climbed back to the top and, hanging with one hand, re-clipped myself on. Of course that was an impossible thing for me to do, but that adrenaline is wonderful stuff!

Have I ever had one of these come open--you bet--but only once and never again! I believe the little 3" long rope tassel I had put on the toggle might have had something to do with it. Yes, these are wonderful for sail halyards, sheets and guys; but for people, never. I ran my mountain climber nephew up the stick in his mega-buck climbing harness. Verdict on why the shackle released? The lanyard was pulled into the sheave of the pulley at the masthead, and when the halyard got snug, it put enough tension on the lanyard to cause it to release.

So, no more lanyard for you! Replaced it with a smaller split ring. All good after several hoists! :-)"

(Actually, he's still an idiot. NEVER use a snap shackle to secure people overhead. Tie a figure 8 on a bight and use  locking carabiner, or tie the knot directly around the harness suspension points.)

• Using a snap shackle overhead is dumb. Either tie directly or use a locking carabiner.
• Climbing on a single line is dumb.
• Wear Atlas Fit gloves for better grip on mast.

Unknown. BAY CITY, MI — A 77-year-old Bay City man is dead after falling from the top of his sail boat.
Bay County Sheriff's deputies, Bangor Township firefighters and McLaren Bay-Region paramedics responded to a 911 call at the Bay City Yacht Club, 3315 Shady Shores Drive, at 3:53 p.m. Saturday, July 12. Witnesses placed the call after Gaitis Skabardis fell about 50 feet from the mast of his boat to the vessel's deck and landed on his right side, said Bay County Sheriff's Lt. James Chlebowski.
The boat was docked at the time.
Skabardis' brother and son witnessed the incident. "Before we got there… he made mention to his son that he couldn't breathe after he fell," Chlebowski said. Shortly thereafter, Skabardis stopped breathing and slipped into unconsciousness.
Medical personnel attempted to save Skabardis, but were unable to, Chlebowski said.
Skabardis may have had a medical event prior to the fall, the lieutenant added.
"We know that he unbuckled his safety harness from the boatswain's chair prior to him falling for an unknown reason," Chlebowski said.

• If assistance is available, keep them around. Presuming he has a heart attack or similar, he could have been quickly lowered. 

No training, poor physical condition, poor equipment. Thames River, SV Albatros, May 2004.
A 76 year old 230-pound passenger asked to climb the ratlines on a wooden schooner. He was given minimal training and was fitted with a safety belt (not harness) attached with a non-locking carabiner, which apparently clipped itself to the ratlines.

"The deckhand recalled that, at about 1450, Mr Kneller had climbed approximately 8 metres above deck level. He recalled observing that as Mr. Kneller was about to take a step upwards, he released the karibiner clip on his lifeline from the ratline, froze for some seconds, released his grip, and fell

backwards. He landed on the ship’s side railings above the gunwale next to the deckhand, before falling overboard into the sea"

• Lack of training...
• Improper harness.
• Non-locking carabiner.
• Not in suitable physical condition.

____________

Please note that EVERY accident was preventable and all included some operator error. It is not the climbing that is dangerous, but rather poor training and inattention to detail; some of these climbers were extremely experienced, having ascended many times. The number of serious accidents as a result of climbing the mast, when compared to the number of rock climbing accidents and the far greater number of climbers, is orders of magnitude higher. Get some training.I've known too many people to get hurt.

Oh Dear...

In order to listen to a movie without inverter hum (I've got Bose speakers but my inverter puts out square wave power) I decided to plug in. I spent the night on the boat in order to be closer to Annapolis for the morning boat show.

But all the GFIs were tripped.

Let's see...

1. Only 4 non-water proof plugs, in addition to the 2 plugs on the box.
2. One unrestrained hot plug that can be kicked into the water.
3. One plug that had enough tension to pull the box off the piling (fender was rigged against it).

After unplugging the GFI-trip offender I left a note gently explaining why this is collection of cords is dangerous and non-functional. The boat has not left the dock since the new owner bought her, and I doubt if it ever will. I've not heard the engine run. He did ask me if the problem with the tap water could be that the tank was empty....

Ordinarily I rely on solar and and inverter and only plug in for a few hours when I am present. I am quite glad of that.

---------

When I came back 10 days later...

•  The note was still in place, unread.
• A cord had been added, reaching to the next outlet over (2 slips, not in use).
• The outlet was still tripped. I'm guessing it was either still wet and couldn't be reset (probably not) or didn't know how to reset it (probable). Since there was nothing plugged in, it should not have tripped even if raining. 
• The outlet worked fine, after I reset it.

It had not rained since. Perhaps that outlet is less sensitive. Perhaps it will trip next rain.

Searching Forums and Blogs

Perhaps everyone but me knew this trick already, but here goes....

Often forums, blogs, state government sites and even many commercial sites have lame search engines. Blogger's search engine is pretty good, but even a plural (boat vs. boats) will throw it off the sent. Today I learned a very simple solution. For example, to find posts on genoa sheeting angles on Multihulls4us...

site:www.multihulls4us.com genoa sheeting angle

or 

site:sail-delmarva.blogspot.com genoa sheeting angle

... will take you right there with much greater accuracy and fewer false leads than the search engine on the site or Google without the site: command.

The Difference Between a Cruiser and a Racer

To Cover or Not to Cover?

Cover, obviously....

This boat is a poster child, the upper portion of the enclosure covered for a time, then niether part covered. The lower portion has become barely translucent:

Often the bird dropping are an even larger problem; the vinyl must be cleaned every trip and residue that sits for more than a few days etches a permanent mark.

The covers on the fixed windows (polycarbonate) have cause no additional scratching, have slowed UV damage, cool the cabin, reduce window cleaning, and reduced scratching. Simple enough.

But what to cover the soft windows with? Concerns abound that without some padding or lining the canvas will eat the vinyl whole, perhaps worse than UV sun exposure. Others use plain Sunbrella with success. I've taken a hand full of Sunbrella, rubbed it on Strataglass and seen no damage.

On the right is a weather beaten 16-year old cover, the edging eaten
right off by the sun. Under it is pristine 16-year old Strataglass. The rest of the dodger has been replaced twice and is not as good.Could the skylight have been better protected? No, I don't think so.

On the front windows I have a non-contact cover. It was simpler to build and seemed like a better idea... though I don't know that it was. The front and side windows are already far worse, the result of scratching from rolling and kayaks sliding by.


Would a lined Sunbrella cover be better, as many have suggested, or would it only hold more grit and be more prone to scratching? Would it be like cleaning the glass with a grit-encrusted rag? Always puzzlement. I pretty sure plain Sunbrella is the answer.

Or not to cover....
In very windy anchorages I've been told that covers can flap and scratch the vinyl. No question, if you take Sunbrella and rub it against vinyl, at acts like a fine rubbing compound. Clean cotton, by the way, will not do that and so it can be used for cleaning and polishing, but as a cover it wouldn't last and certainly wouldn't stay clean.

-------

No universal answer, it seems.

Sheeting Angle and Keels

rev. 9-18-2013

Cruising cats are not generally weatherly, and the PDQ 32 is no exception. But encouraged by the fact that some fine tuning (transom extensions clean bottom and a weight loss program) has made the speed polars quite attainable, I'm encouraged to move on.

The transoms helped. Less drag equates to higher speeds and higher speed, even a little, means higher lift on the foils. This is critical with low aspect keels, something I learned well in my years of sailing no-keel beach cats; they only point if you keep them moving.

New sails. My genoa sets perfectly (other than the sheeting angle, which we will get to). My main on the other hand, is a bag. But I still want to get a few years more and I'm patient. Jessica's just starting school and I still feel guilty about spending. It will pass. No question, a flatter and faster main will aid pointing, though I wouldn't expect any change off the wind, hence the low priority.

Sheeting angle. A few quick calculation show I use a self-tacker angle of 12 degrees but a genoa angle of 24 degrees. For comparison:

• Very weatherly keel boats: 7-9 degrees.
• Cruising monohulls: 9-12 degrees.
• Dingies: 9-12 degrees.
• Stiletto 27: 9 degrees.
• Prindle 18: 12 degrees

While the PDQ doesn't have the best foils,clearly we can do better than 24, which is a reacher angle. But with beach cat rigging (3 shrouds, no back stay), I can't sheet tighter than the shroud.

I will probably add a short run of 1 1/4-inch track between the winches and just outboard (about 2 feet behind where the green tape is, the result of more test sailing) (both winches are the same size). Figuring the space will be tight and the lead may interfere with grinding if not tweaked just so. Most probably I will use the spinnaker sheet as the alternate jib sheet, which will require using a snatch block; I found a compact one from Garhauer that I like. I've got to be certain nothing interferes with normal genoa and spinnaker operation. I suspect a mock-up will be required, to get it right the first time. And more testing.

The track will be out of foot traffic and no new lines are needed. Unless the spinnaker is used, everything can be left in place. If the spinnaker is used, the line transfer should take only a minute, making use of a snatch block on the inner track.

I intend to replace the fixed aft block with another slider, so that both can be adjusted. The cross haul line in the photo is only to hold the snatch block in place during the photo and is not a part of the proposed system.

A side view shows that to get the same lead angle on the higher deck I can be somewhat forward, though any time you move inboard you move aft. The tighter the jib, the greater the risk of hooking the leach into the main up high.

If we were to bring the sheet inside the shrouds, I can go as close as 17 degrees before the cabin top gets in the way. Although 7 degrees sounds minor to the non-sailor, it equates to about 20 degrees of potential pointing, which is huge. We have tested this by barber hauling to an opposing winch (awkward--the line splits the cockpit) (would need to be reset on each tack) and after leeway found about 8-10 degrees course-over-ground improvement, and about an 30% improvement in VMG (velocity made good to windward), which is huge. Additionally is the promise of fewer tacks, which add to that improvement. Yup, gotta do it. We will need to add a short track just between and outboard of the winches with very low profile blocks (to get a good winch lead).

While we certainly must consider rough conditions (the below is based upon semi-protected water observations), the calculations below show the potential benefit of inboard leads. Also interesting is the relatively small change in VMG over a range of angles, thought that simplistic analysis ignores the reduction in the number of tacks required.
 

Keels. Of course, this will be further helped if the keels were optimized. PDQ designed the keels for balance on land, not in the water; nice when dried out, but way too far forward under sail. She loves to weather vane into irons when you're not looking. More area aft might help.

This is a more radical way to add area; a center board that would drop down when needed for leeway and balance. Certainly there is room in the under bunk storage, but I think the added wieght might cost more than the leeway, to say nothing of the complications in construction, operation, and mainatance. This has been done on both cats and monohulls.

PDQ keels are also not very efficient, being low aspect. Several sources suggest that about 5% of the sail area is good for this type and this sort of boat. With about 620 ft^2 of up wind sail area, that would suggest 31 ft^2 or 15.5 ft^2 on each side. Since the existing keels are more like 12.3 ft^2, we are seriously lacking in area. With the factory self-tacking jib, the up wind area is only about 506 ft^2 and the factory keels make perfect sense (12.6 ft^2 suggested). On flat water with a wide lead angle it also works with the large genoa, but when it gets rough, not so much. If I tighten the lead angle to 14 degrees, even more trouble.

The existing keels have a very blunt trailing edge, perhaps 5/8-inch wide. What if we extended this out to a fine edge? that would add about 1 ft^2 per side. What if we add a low angled fence keel for a short distance behind the keel, perhaps 30 inches long? Another 1.8 ft^2; not efficient because low aspect, but thin and very low drag. Both would be simple to do while out for painting and cost very little. No additional draft and nothing to snag on the bottom. I have a chain rode, so keel wraps are a non-issue. This would get the area back into the design pocket.

Note: I did fair the keel, 10/2015. Yup, really helped with balance and VMG. See Good Old Boat Magazine, 2016, for the story.

----

The plan? I think the inside genoa leads may appear within a few months--a little more testing and figuring. The new main and keel mods will wait for the next haul-out; I think they will make a fun 1-2 punch. While she will never be a reaching machine like my old Stiletto, I think she will be getting up and down the Bay a good bit quicker than stock, and smoother too; a very fast cruiser for her size. I'll have to calculate new speed polars!

Speed isn't everything. Efficiency means I can also reef earlier without loss, and that makes for easier, safer sailing. 

Reeving

You'd think reeving a block would be second nature to an old sailor, but I'm always forgetting how to reeve a 6-part tackle at 90 degrees. Weave the rope in any other order and you're just throwing money away.

Look Mom... nothing touches!

The problem is friction. For the same reason that you can hold a 2,000-pound load on a winch with 2 fingers by virtue of 3 wraps, a tackle where the line going up rubs against the line going down  will waste energy from the start and virtually lock-up when it gets within 6 block diameters of finished.

I keep this cheat sheet handy for when the davit tackle gets tangled; typically a well meaning guest detaches it and drops it to one side, unknowingly passing the block through the tackle. Oops.

4:1 blocks have a trick too:

 

One more thing. While tackle twisting is  caused by reeving errors, it is enabled by swivels at the top and the bottom. There should ONLY be one swivel, either top or bottom, whichever is more helpful in providing a fair lead. However, if a fair lead can be achieved with no swivel and an additional shackle, that is even better. Reduce the number of swivels to no more than one.

You would think after 30 years of messing about in boats I would know what basic terms mean. But it seems they mean different things to different folks.






I always assumed "wind" meant the actual wind. The true wind. The first texts I read on catamaran sailing made it quite clear that is what the author believed. Something like this:

Pinching. Probably closer to the wind than Close hauled suggests.
Close hauled. As near the wind as good VMG indicates.
Full and by. Just eased a tick. Full sails. Often better VMG in steep chop or performance multihulls, but depends on the boat.
Close reach. Between close hauled and beam reach, about 67 degrees off the true wind. On fast boats this can be a lot like full-and-by, while slow boats have eased sheets.
Beam reach. True wind on the beam.
Broad reach. True wind about 135 degrees, apparent wind generally on the beam. Still forward of the beam on fast boats.
Deep reach. Deeper than Broad reach. Apparent wind will be on a the beam on a fast boat, perhaps 135 degrees on a cruising boat.
Run. 180 degrees, true and apparent.

I started a discussion on a forum here that resolved nothing. Plenty of references on both sides.






Wiki takes my view; not an authority, perhaps, but I'm hanging my hat there...



-----

All I can say is that if I make a course reference it is relative to true wind. How my specific boat requires the sails be set is to me of less importance to the story than telling the reader the direction of the waves and the nature of the sailing. That is enough and it is better related by the true wind than some artifact of how fast I'm moving.

Long Bridles

Rev 10-29-2013, rev. 7-23-2024

I'm still working my way through this topic--I think many cat sailors are--so this post is a work in progress.

There are 5 conflicting requirements asked of a catamaran mooring bridle and I have yet to hear of a perfect solution. Partial solutions that work, but always prone to some critical flaw.

1. Turning Leverage. First, cats need a relatively long triangular bridle to keep them into the wind at anchor. If anchored to the center beam they skate all over, with a bridle they are placid. Legs equal to the beam provide sufficient leverage and allow working from either bow, if needed. Longer legs also place less stress on the bridle (basic statics/trigonometry).
2. Shock Absorption. Actually, this applies to all boats, but more so to cats as they are more inclined to anchor in shallow water. Waves, particularly if breaking or simply steep, impart tremendous energy that the typical all-chain rode cannot absorb. Folks say the catenary absorbs shock, but only true in deep water with several hundred feet out; in a 50-knot squall anchored in 6 feet of water (60-70 feet of rode would be conservative) the rode is so close to straight--within 1 foot-- that chain has no absorptive capacity. What is needed is a nylon bridle long enough to absorb a wave, that is to stretch 2-4 feet. That will require a 30-foot bridle leg. This is even more vital for monhulls, which see severe impacts if a wave strikes the front beam or bridge deck.
3. Apex of Bridle Must be Off the Bottom. If a very long bridle is used the apex will be on the bottom during slack conditions, subject to chafe. While this is not critically important in the Chesapeake mud bottoms, with rock or shell it would be. Even on the Chesapeake oyster shells eventually take a toll.
4. Chain Hooks Like to Stay Off the Bottom. Even the the Mantus hook, one of the most resistant to getting flung off, stayed on when I used a short bridle but frequently fell of when I used a long bridle.
5. One-size-fits-all Would be Nice. What boat has extra room for extra stuff?

In a recent Practical Sailor Magazine one multi-huller suggested using a long bridle, but anchoring the legs far back on deck, to the midships cleats or behind. The bridle then goes through a turning block and forward to the rode. The legs are thus over 30' long for shock absorption, but the legs between the hulls not so long that the apex of the bridle rests on the bottom. Another experienced contributor poo-pooed the practice, citing extra chafe points and rigging. True enough. He was a monohull sailor, of course.

Note the webbing chafing gear at the chock for the line to run through. I run the line outside of the bow cleat, which eases the angles substantially, reducing friction and chafe. In wild conditions, could the line jump out of the chock? Yes, but in those conditions I would simply move the ends to the bow cleats; the bridle won't touch bottom in that sort of blow. 
(Top bridle by Mantus (very sturdy), left and right spliced from bits and pieces on-hand while watching a sun rise near Smith Island.)

I thought I would try it for a night.  My new Mantus Hook testing bridle is long enough and the wind was gusting over 20 knots. I was protected from waves but not the wind. It kept the bridle off the bottom.

• The boat rode well, without any jerking or surging.
• There was certainly movement of the rode through the chocks during the gusts--4-6 inches in the stronger puffs--proof the stretch was working. Webbing chafe gear seems to work, but anything that generates friction also reduces the effectiveness of the side deck portion of the bridle. Additionally, the line could jump out of the chock in rough conditions. A turning block is the right answer, but it must be well placed. For my boat and circumstances it is not needed.

Food for thought. It looked neat and it worked, but with turning blocks there is really too much to set up nightly and there is no go location for a turning block on my boat anyway. For now, it has become my standard method.

7-23-2024

Interestingly, I am using a Dyneema bridle on my trimaran with a rope rode. With rope rode you don't need shock absorption. In fact, if there is enough rope out (over 150 feet) there can be too much stretch, leading to rebound after gusts and increased yawing. 

• A Dyneema bridle distorts less during yawing because it does not stretch.
• It is compact and UV resistant. I can leave it rigged full time, avoiding climbing out on those skinny bows. A plus. 

I have also reduced rebound by using an oversized rode (1/2-inch vs. recommended 3/8-inch). It stretches less. Additionally, it is much easier to hold and about four times more wear resistant (pressure spread over more surface, less moment, more material to wear away, material under lower fiber tension, and more reserve strength).

Relocating Jacklines

Formerly the jack lines terminated at the forward beam; simple and strong, but cause a tripping hazard. After far to long a wait, after a suggestion by my daughter, we relocated them to the edge of the tram, where combined with a small back-up plate and the natural strength of the hull flange and trampoline track, there is a natural strong point.

The aft end is still anchored to the hard top railings, the spliced end of the dockline cow-hitched around a center point attachment, spreading the load.

The forward end is lashed (many passes of polyester cord adding up to a 5500-pound line, with padding under for chafe) to a 316 SS bolt hanger. The chafe gear is for UV protection.

Less of a trip problem, equal access, easy to re-tension.

--------------

Why rope instead of webbing, as is the conventional wisdom? Though I've discussed this before...

• UV. We leave them rigged 365 because we believe night comes every day, the water is cold in the winter, single-handers need to stay on the boat, and thunderstorms give little warning.
• Under foot? We don't worry about stepping on them because they do not run on the deck.
• Stretch. We like the stretch of nylon dock line because we have a cat and used long tethers. If we were a mono-hull we would use something lower (but not zero) stretch.

And we use 2-arm tethers. One about 84" and the other about 30". Fit them to YOUR boat.

Big Changes...

... perhaps the greatest since getting married.

This morning we are packing our only daughter, Jessica, off to college. It's going to be strange not having my many time hiking, climbing, skiing and sailing partner with me, at least not so often. I'm going to spending a lot more time with my wife, but different time. Quieter time with a different focus. Time to remember who we were before children, consider what changes we have experienced, and decide who we are to become. Seems better than mourning what is perceived lost.

I will miss each age, but the whole point was moving to the next age... wasn't it? Some days I wouldn't mind being 12 again. Except I doubt my folks would have let me sail into the sunset with my wife.

Navionics on a Tablet?

rev. 9-17-2013

While the chart plotter on my PDQ certainly works well enough, it's 1997 tech, the only maps loaded are for the PO's stomping grounds, and the disk and adapter have failed. The base map is +/- about 200 yards and lacks depth and day mark info. But since I'm an old school coast piloting guy, I really never worried over it; I have paper charts, know the Chesapeake fairly well, and it gives lat/long and speed very well. But then I was given a tablet.

I'm not into gadgets. I've got a dumb phone, no I-anything, and I don't text, tweet or Facebook. I blog and that's about it. My daughter thinks I don't understand these things, when in reality I simply don't care... and she does come to me whit computer problems. Go figure.

Simple slide-down mount made from an old car phone bracket and some bits of aluminum and FRP.

And now you know exactly how to find my home slip.

It always occurred to me that I might simply use a tablet when time came to upgrade. Far cheaper than a large screen chart plotter, the cockpit on the PDQ is quite dry, and multifunction. I was given a tablet by my office for time-in-service, so I'm experimenting. It is a low-end 10.5-inch tablet (Coby MID 1065) that lacks internal GPS, and so Navionics (Marine US HD) does not link up with locations. But it does have a very nice map set that is resident in the tablet (not Wi-Fi) with FAR greater detail than the NOAA paper charts, so it has earned a place. On a tablet with internal GPS I think it would earn 2 thumbs up. As is, a solid 1 1/2 thumbs for being free and for how much better a touchscreen makes Google Maps.

Notes August 31, 2013.

I'm drawn to comparing the tablet and marine chart plotter to an smart phone and standard phone. Which is easier to operate if someone ties one arm down and shakes you vigorously by both shoulders? The dumb phone can still be dialed. How many of those menus can you access? can you place your finger in just the right spot to type a text? Can you read it?

Someone suggested "well, you can change the settings." When? While I was still in the harbor? Certainly not out on the waters once it gets rough.

• Thumbs down for touch screens in rough water. While blasting into 3- to 4-foot square chop on the Chesapeake I found the touch screen completely unusable. Every time I tried to perform any function I missed, slid, or touched several things. I've asked around and numerous sailors feel the same way. At the same time I had no trouble operating the existing GPS chart plotter that depends on buttons with few menus. Hard to miss a button.
• Thumbs down on small type while underway. Same problem; if the screen is jerking up and down, anything smaller than 14 points is unreadable and high definition means nothing.
• Thumbs up for navigating small creeks and rivers. With smooth water, all of the touch screen functions and the high resolution have value. Much easier than flipping chart pages.
• Thumbs up for the Google Earth overlay. Just WOW. However, turn this off while you're navigating; it really slows things down and can cause fatal lock-up (not just reboot but reload).
• Thumbs up for vertical orientation, at least for the Chesapeake, and perhaps for most coastal areas. Most of our sailing is north/south, not east/west. 
• Thumbs up for the twin ball and socket mount. Works perfectly, no movement.
• Thumbs up for the top slide-in mount. Though a boat can be rough, we don't have the same high frequency bumps. Very easy, one-handed. Put the power switch on the top. Make certain the charging outlet is accessible.
• Accuracy: Better... and worse. While there is better resolution on the charts, some of this comes from user input--crowd sourcing--and some of it is just plain wrong. And this isn't just a matter of sand an mud that might have moved. I visited a small cove where Navionics indicated and 8-foot entrance bar and 23 feet inside. In fact, it has always been a 6-foot bar and about 8 feet inside. I noticed other discrepancies of this sort. Is it glitches or crowd-source data? When I turn "user comments" off the errors are still there. Keep your paper charts.

I think I like it enough to upgrade to a top end tablet when this one goes. But I may still choose to replace the marine chart plotter when it goes, probably for a small screen version with buttons. It is actually rather nice to leave the GPS on a nice big, readable NAV screen while I stroll through possible destination and zooms on the tablet, planning the day ahead of me without having to page through disjointed chart books.